If you walk into a department store in February, you are sure to be greeted by boxes of chocolate, giant teddy bears and pink-and-red cards filled with “XOXO” and other Valentine’s Day platitudes.
Valentine’s Day has been widely celebrated for generations, with roots stemming all the way back to the 1840s. It is also a highly profitable holiday, with Americans estimated to spend $27.5 billion dollars on it this year, according to The National Retail Federation.
However, the resurgence of Valentine’s Day each February brings up vastly different emotions for different people.
Some feel positively about the holiday, taking the opportunity to celebrate with themed celebrations and show appreciation to loved ones.
“I love Valentine’s Day because of the tradition of giving chocolates to those I love,” said Linganore High School (LHS) senior Abbygail Meyers.
People celebrate Valentine’s Day in different ways, but gift giving is a common theme: many people purchase candy, flowers or jewelry for loved ones. One of the more prominent ways to celebrate is for children to make handmade cards or “Valentines” for school classmates.
A student writer for The Scribe, the student news site of the University of Colorado, Ellie Myers, said, “I used to fall in the ‘Valentine’s Day is a marketing scam’ camp, but now I feel that there’s no reason to call other people out for enjoying time with each other or buying chocolate …Valentine’s Day should be a day to celebrate the people you care about, and the people should be more important than the day or the products that come with it.”
LHS freshman Sanjay Bhattacharya also shared a positive view on the holiday.
“I think it’s good if couples celebrate this holiday, because they get a chance to show each other that they care for each other,” Bhattacharya said.
While many enjoy celebrating the holiday, this sentiment is not shared by everyone. Much of the disdain surrounding Valentine’s Day comes from the roots of the celebration, which focus on romantic relationships.
A student writer for The Reveille, the student news site of Louisiana State University, said, “When you’re so focused on yourself and what you feel is the missing piece from your life, that puzzle chip being a lover…of course, a day dedicated to love is going to be sucky, dismal and downright hateable.”
For those who are single, the holiday may seem like a constant reminder of what one is potentially missing out on. In addition, for couples, there is pressure to plan extravagant dates or find the perfect gift. LHS senior Abigail Warren feels that the expectations of Valentine’s Day, such as giving gifts and going out to eat, should be regular occurrences throughout the year and not just a focus on February 14.
“Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be the one night of the year where you treat your partner to dinner or do something fun … you should already be doing that for your partner,” Warren said.
While couples are often portrayed as the main focus of Valentine’s Day, it is not reserved solely for couples. LHS senior Brienna Ryder feels one can still enjoy the holiday without being in a romantic relationship.
“It’s a good time to show appreciation and love towards people that are close to you, like family and friends,” Ryder said.
A new trend has taken off in recent years that pushes back on the original premise of the holiday. Galentine’s Day is a celebration of female friendship. It has become popularized on social media, with women posting photos of brunches, painting parties, baking and more. This new tradition has helped expand the traditional viewpoint of Valentine’s Day to one that more people can celebrate.
“I love Galentine’s Day, it’s a nice way for friends to spend this romantic day together through doing crafts and making sweet treats,” Warren said.
A seventh-grader at New Market Middle School (NMMS), Brigid Malone, said, “I think it’s more of a commercial holiday, but when it’s not, it’s more fun. Galentine’s Day is awesome.”
Still, some people dislike Valentine’s Day as a whole, as they feel it is a purely consumerist holiday centered around superficial values.
“Products get sold from all over the world themed around Valentine’s Day, so …[consumerism] plays a pretty big role,” said LHS freshman Cooper Wurster.
An article from Birmingham Blogs: University of Birmingham states “Whichever way we conceptualise the origins of Valentine’s Day, it is not what it once was. It is no longer an innocent representation of caring for another, but has become a capitalist venture aimed at consumerism.”
Warren agrees with this sentiment.
“I think consumerism plays a huge role in the holiday, because it’s a way to advertise items for huge corporations and for them to make more money,” Warren said. “I also believe that people think they need to spend a lot of money for Valentine’s Day, which feeds into these corporations, allowing them to profit significantly.”
No matter what opinions are held about Valentine’s Day, there is no doubt it plays a prominent role in American culture. People may choose to celebrate the holiday in different ways, or not at all, but it will return every year on February 14.
